The World Welly Wanging Championships are held annually during the Upperthong Gala weekend in June. Welly throwing competitions occur across the globe, but the original and official championships take place in Upperthong Village, West Yorkshire. The idea is for competitors to "wang" (throw) their Wellington boot the furthest. To make it fair, everyone must use a size 9 (9.5 US, 43.5 EUR) Dunlop-branded green, non-steel toe-cap polyurethane boot. Whether it is the left or right boot is up to the thrower.

Local history maintains the sport originated after a fight between two farmers at a pub. During the commotion, a glass of ale was spilt into the Wellington boot of an innocent bystander. In a fit of rage, the bystander removed his boot and proceeded to chase the farmers out of the pub. With only one boot, he was considerably slower than the others, so in frustration, he threw his sodden boot as hard as he could in the direction of the retreating farmers. Locals re-enacted the scene over the following weeks, gradually turning it into a friendly competition as to who could throw the welly the furthest.

According to the 'Guinness Book of World Records' the furthest Welly Wanging throws were set in 1996 by Teppo Luoma and Sari Tirkkon from Finland. Luoma set the record for men at 63.98 m (70 yards), whilst Trikkon set it at 40.87m (44.7 yards) for women.

More Info: upperthong.org.uk